PREFACE. THE Bishop of Meaux, the very able and acute Bossuet, has constructed an ingenious argument from the Prophetic Promises of Christ, which is for ever to establish the Roman Church and the Churches in communion with her as the sole visible Church Catholic, while it is for ever to exclude the Protestant Churches from all share and participation of that venerable title. His argument cannot be given with more of fairness and propriety than in his own words. The doctrine of the Catholic Church subsists in four points: the connection of which is inviolable. The first point is that The Church is visible. The second point is that It always exists. : The third point is that The truth of the Gospel is there always professed by the whole Society. The fourth point is that It is not permitted to depart from its doctrine; or, in other terms, that It is infallible. The first point is founded upon the constant fact: that The term CHURCH, in Scripture and thence in the common language of the Faithful, always signifies A VISIBLE SOCIETY. The second point, that, The Church always exists, is no less certain: because it is founded on the Promises of Jesus Christ, respecting which all parties are agreed. Hence we clearly must infer the third point, that The truth is always professed by the Society of the Church for the Church being only visible in the profession of the truth, it follows; that If it always exists, and if it is always visible, it cannot possibly do otherwise than always teach and profess the truth of the Gospel. Whence, with equal clearness, will follow the fourth point that We cannot be permitted to say, that The Church is in error, or that It has departed from its doctrine. And all this is founded upon the Promise, which is confessed among all parties. For the same Promise which causes that, The Church should always exist, causes likewise that It should always be in the state imported by the term CHURCH: and, consequently, it causes also, that The Church should always be visible, and should always teach the truth. Nothing can be more simple and more clear and more consecutive than this doctrine. This doctrine is so clear, that the Protestants cannot deny it and it imports their condemnation so clearly, that they have also not been able to acknowledge it. Therefore it is, that they have thought of nothing, save to throw it into confusion *. • La doctrine de l'Eglise Catholique consiste en quatre points, dont l'enchainement est inviolable. L'un que L'Eglise est visible. L'autre qu'Elle est toujours. Le troisième que La verité de l'Evangile y est toujours professée par toute la Societé. Le quatrième: qu'Il n'est pas permis de s'eloigner de sa doctrine; ce qui vaut dire, en autres termes, qu'Elle est infaillible. Le premier point est fondé sur un fait constant; c'est, que Le terme d'EGLISE signifie toujours, dans l'Ecriture, et ensuite dans le langage commun des fidèles, UN SOCIETE VISIBLE. Le second point, que L'Eglise est toujours, n'est pas moins constant: puisqu'il est fondè sur les promesses de Jesus-Christ, dont on convient dans tous les partis. De là on infère très-clairement le troisième point; que La To what particular Promise or Promises of Christ the Bishop alludes, he does not distinctly specify: but I conclude that he can only refer to the two following texts. : Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it * Vérité est toujours professée par la Societé de l'Eglise car, l'Eglise n'étant visible que par la profession de la vérité, il s'ensuit, que, si elle est toujours, et qu'elle soit toujours visible; il ne se peut, qu'elle n'enseigne et ne professe toujours la vérité de l'Evangile. D'où suit aussi clairement le quatrième point, qu'Il n'est pas permis de dire que L'Eglise soit dans l'erreur, ni de s'ecarter de sa doctrine. Et tout cela est fondé sur la promesse, qui est avouée dans tous les partis: puisqu'enfin la même promesse, qui fait que L'Eglise est toujours, fait qu'Elle est toujours dans l'état qu'emporte le terme d'EGLISE : par consequent, toujours visible, et toujours enseignant la vérité. Il n'y a rien de plus simple, ni de plus clair, ni de plus suivi, que cette doctrine. Cette doctrine est si clair, que les Protestans ne l'ont pû nier: elle emporte si clairement leur condamnation, qu'ils n'ont pû aussi la reconnoître. C'est pourquoi ils n'ont songé, qu'à l'embrouiller. Hist. des Variat. livr. xv. § 3, 4. * Matt. xvi, 18. |